The camp of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, accepting the inevitability of her impeachment in the House of Representatives, has expressed confidence she will be able to defend herself and win in the Senate trial.

Sereno on Wednesday said she would be preparing for her defense in the trial as she embarked on an indefinite leave starting Thursday.

“I want to give you the assurance that while I will be taking a leave of absence, the ship of state of the judiciary remains on course,” Sereno told the 25th national convention of the Regional Trial Court Clerks of Court Association of the Philippines held at the Manila Hotel.

By all indications, the impeachment of the Chief Justice is imminent in the House of Representatives, a spokesperson for Sereno, Josa Deinla, told the Inquirer.

“After all, the congressmen and Speaker [Pantaleon] Alvarez had been saying that the proceedings at the committee on justice are nothing but a formality,” Deinla said.